Monthly Archives: September 2008

This summer I moderated a panel on Ethics and Business pressures at the AEJMC conference in Chicago. Geneva Overholser the new Director of the School of Journalism at University of Southern California, Peter Bhatia the Executive Editor of the Portland Oregonian and Michael Bugeja, director of the Greenlee school of Journalism at Iowa State University […]

Robert J. Samuelson on Newsweek.com says Wall Street is kaput. He says it has been done in by greed. Amen, Amen, Amen. The obituaries on the American economic system can be found all over the web, but I thought Samuelson’s was especially smart and pointed out the sad history of such economic implosions. He writes […]

The Saturday Night Live Sketch satirizing Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton is apparently taking the web world by storm. It was fascinating that the first word from Gov. Palin was that she loved the skit, but now the McCain campaign tells us it was sexist. Apparently Gov. Palin can’t be allowed to decide that for […]

In 1986 McClatchy Newspapers purchased the Tacoma News Tribune in what was called an “asset sale.” McClatchy bought the “assets” of the newspaper negating the union contracts. That forced employees to reapply for their jobs under new conditions posted by McClatchy. This little note from 22 years ago should be far more than a historical […]

In between episodes of chasing very active grandchildren this summer, I read several novels, but two stood out. Both of these novels provocatively shined lights on the media business, our tough times and the inherent romance of the news business. I have always enjoyed mysteries and I love books with settings I can relate to […]

POLITICO’S decision to make its material available for major new media outlets is another kick in the contract for The Associated Press war with newspapers. Not only will Politico provide quality Washington news for newspapers and web sites, it will offer a revenue sharing model. This is from its release: “POLITICO will sell national advertising […]

The Minneapolis Star Tribune got some press a week or so ago when it gave The Associated Press the required two year’s cancellation notice. The Star Tribune is at least the fifth and perhaps the biggest paper to take this action. Newspapers appear convinced newspapers are very low on AP’s priority list. Newspapers want lower […]

The Sarah Palin controversy is either the media doing its job or it’s the media with it’s hair on fire. Bob Steele wrote a cogent argument on Poynter.org that ” It’s appropriate for journalists to examine a politician’s beliefs at the intersection of one’s personal and professional lives.” Mary Matalin made the “hair on fire” […]

About me

Tim McGuire is the Frank Russell Chair for the business of journalism at the Cronkite School. McGuire teaches courses on ethics and on the business components of journalism including operations, emerging media, corporate responsibility and the future of media.